Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 28, 2009
PRAYER, ACCORDING TO THE MISHNA
"One who says the Tefillah so that it can be heard is of the small of faith; he who raises his voice in praying is of the false prophets; he who belches and yawns is of the arrogant; if he sneezes during his prayer it is a bad sign for him — some say, it shows that
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 21, 2009
In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas."
• Katherine hurried to the editor of the
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 14, 2009
This story broke this week from the United Kingdom: " LONDON (Reuters) – Gone are the days of shepherds in tea towels and tinsel-clad angels. Britain’s competitive parents are forking out on luxury pashmina shawls and velour dressing gowns to make their child the star of the annual nativity
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 14, 2009
Like the game Mousetrap, if we are in the middle of it -- the guy falling through the bath tub, for example, it doesn’t make sense. But we are part of a process. Maybe we will raise a child that will raise a child that will marry a woman with a child from a previous marriage, and your grandson
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 7, 2009
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WAITING FOR GABRIEL
I was picking up my son at a youth event, and I saw Darl, who was doing the same. Darl’s oldest son is Gabriel. I asked him how he was, and Darl said,
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 7, 2009
THREE ANGELS AND ABRAHAM
"The three angels that appeared to Abraham (Gen. xviii.) were Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael; Michael, as the greatest, walked in the middle, with Gabriel to his right and Raphael to his left (Yoma 37a). Michael stands at the right hand of God, Gabriel at His left
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 30, 2009
When I first began dating Marylu, she was a waitress. Fortunately, I was brought up with good etiquette, & knew to tip 15% for good service. Now the protocol is 20%, and I try to do that, if the service is good. If not, I leave less.
This week, an interesting story broke out of
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 30, 2009
John Gill wrote, "Jeremiah, whom some of the Jews have thought to be the prophet Moses spoke of, in (Deuteronomy 18:15) and expected that he would appear about the times of the Messiah" [his source: Baal Hatturim in Deut.
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 30, 2009
When I first began dating Marylu, she was a waitress. Fortunately, I was brought up with good etiquette, & knew to tip 15% for good service. Now the protocol is 20%, and I try to do that, if the service is good. If not, I leave less.
This week, an interesting story broke out of
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 30, 2009
REVENGE VS. BEARING A GRUDGE
Tractate Yoma, Chapter 2 (aka, 23a): "What is called revenge, and what is called bearing a grudge? Revenge is such a case: When one comes to the other, and asks him to lend a sickle to him, he says: Nay. On the morrow, the second comes to the first, and wants to borrow
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 30, 2009
Matters of debate between rabbis included how to implement the commands. Contrast later Rabbis words, "How far should you go in admonishing people? Rav said: Until they beat you up for reprimanding them (Arachin 16b)…I might think that you should admonish him even if his face turned white for
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 16, 2009
Unexpected guests were on the way, and my mother, an impeccable housekeeper, rushed around straightening up. She put my father and brother to work cleaning the guest bathroom. Later, when she went to inspect it, she was surprised that the once-cluttered room had been tidied up so quickly. Then she
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 16, 2009
Marylu and I often take a walk in the evening; a few years ago, she bought me this massive, bright, rechargeable flashlight; everyday, after our walk, I plug it in to the charger; if I fail to recharge it,
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 16, 2009
"The house of Shammai say, a man may not put away his wife, unless he finds some uncleanness in her, according to Deu. 24:1. The house of Hillel say, if she should spoil his food, (that is, as Jarchi and Bartenora explain it, burns it either at the fire, or with salt, i.e. over-roasts or over-salts
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 9, 2009
In the trenches of life when decisions need to be made quickly, we often depend upon short principles that offer us immediate direction and give us spiritual instincts. C. Everett Koop is a great medical ethicist; when addressing end of life decision-making in a booklet he wrote for
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 9, 2009
The Jewish people tried to work around some of the commands of the Torah that could not be practically enforced once the Jewish nation was no longer sovereign. One of those commands was the Sabbath Year. All debts were to be cancelled, but, under Roman rule, this could not work economically for
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 2, 2009
The Talmud contains a similar statement, ""He who humbles himself, him will God elevate; he who elevates himself, him will God humiliate. He who runs after greatness, from him greatness will flee; he who flees from greatness, him will greatness follow" (’Er. 13a). [Jewish Encyclopedia]
• Hillel
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Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 2, 2009
The Talmud records a similar parable by Rabbi Johanan b. Zakkai - b. Shabbat 153a* [It is like] a king who invited his servants to a feast and did not appoint them a time. The wise among them adorned themselves and sat down by the door of the palace, for they said: Is anything lacking in a palace?
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